Any way you look at it, Tim Wu is an unlikely candidate for public office. The Columbia law school professor who coined the term “net neutrality” is a public intellectual better known for his academic work than his political activism. But he entered New York’s Democratic primary when Zephyr Teachout, a fellow law professor and activist, asked him to be her running mate in a long-shot challenge to incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo. The current lieutenant governor, Robert Duffy, is not seeking reelection, so Wu faces Cuomo’s chosen successor, former Congresswoman Kathy Hochul.

Internet activists have long supported Wu’s writing; now he’s asking them to support his campaign. Cuomo has challenged the petitions that Wu needs to get on the…